Prepare yourself for darkness, despair, and Doc’s, because Nine Inch Nails have teamed up with Dr. Martens for a new footwear collection honoring the 30th anniversary of The Downward Spiral.
A tribute to light in the darkness, the shoe brand explained that this collab is “a physical response to Nine Inch Nails‘ visceral, ground-breaking album,” in a press release, featuring some of Doc’s hardest-hitting silhouettes and “industrial design references” that reflect the art of NIN’s cultural classic.
Starting at US$160+, that includes the 1460 Boot, distorted with the album artwork, “Wound” by Russell Mills, reworked in stark black and white. The 3-eye 1461 shoe in black shows off the iconic “Crystal Teeth” image from the album’s inner art and “the downward spiral” printed in a subtle gloss, along with the tall, black 1490 boot, which Dr. Martens says is inspired by the band’s pre-show ritual where they would “cover themselves in corn starch for a decomposing, post-apocalyptic aesthetic.”
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“When I think of the era of the album, I think of the physicality of the tours and Russell Mills’ visceral paintings that were used as the artwork for the album,” John Crawford, NIN’s Creative Director, told Rolling Stone. When he saw his first NIN show at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta in 1994, “I very well may have been wearing Dr. Martens.”
Crawford worked closely with Trent Reznor to brainstorm concepts for the footwear designs, which were then enhanced when they got the physical samples back from Dr. Martens. “We started picking parts we liked, including textures, heights of the soles, precision in embossing, etc. Then it was a matter of applying elements that were representative of The Downward Spiral and more broadly, the level of detail and consideration NIN is known for.”
The NIN collection follows up on the legacy of artist collabs in the world of music, like with Sex Pistols, Joy Divison, Black Sabbath and more. The Nine Inch Nails x Dr. Martens capsule will be released July 19 at DrMartens.com and select retailers, but fans can visit the site and sign up to be first in line to get notified when the collection drops.
Stream The Downward Spiral below.
